International Association of Applied Psychology

What International Association of Applied Psychology does

The International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1920 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. It is the oldest and largest international association of individual members and affiliate international associations in applied psychology, serving applied psychologists, students and early career professionals, and national psychology associations worldwide. Its mission is to promote the science and practice of applied psychology and to facilitate interaction among applied psychologists globally.

IAAP's core offerings are organized around a flagship event (the quadrennial International Congress of Applied Psychology, ICAP), recurring career development and training programs (the annual Early Career Marathon, ECM, and the Advanced Research Training Seminar, ARTS), academic publications (two Wiley-published journals and the Applied Psychology Around the World newsletter), and 18 specialized divisions spanning the applied psychology landscape. The technology underpinning operations is Novi AMS association management software, which powers the redesigned website and the Member Compass member portal launched in 2025. IAAP also holds Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council and is affiliated with the UN Department of Global Communications, enabling participation in global policy discussions on mental health, gender equality, and child welfare.

IAAP generates revenue through membership dues (individual, student/early career, and affiliate international association tiers on annual billing), event registration fees (ICAP, ECM, ARTS, webinars), and publications. Distribution is direct via the website member portal and through events. The organization operates with a 32-person Operations Center that supports governance, member records, and website operations, and is led by a Secretary-General, Board of Directors, and Division leadership.

Name

International Association of Applied Psychology

Legal name

International Association of Applied Psychology, Inc.

Website

https://iaapsy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) is a 1920-founded nonprofit professional membership organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, serving applied psychologists, students, and affiliate international associations worldwide through its quadrennial ICAP congress, 18 specialty divisions, publications, and United Nations policy engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: IAAP generates revenue through annual membership dues from individual members and affiliate international associations. Members pay dues to access benefits including publications, events, divisions, and professional network.
2. Event Registration: Revenue is generated from registration fees for the International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP), Early Career Marathon (ECM), Advanced Research Training Seminar (ARTS), and other conferences and webinars.
3. Publications: The association publishes Applied Psychology Around the World (APAW) journal and maintains an archive of IAAP Bulletins. Revenue may be generated through publication access and associated content.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IAAP is a nonprofit professional membership association that serves applied psychologists worldwide through membership services, signature conferences (ICAP, ECM, ARTS), peer-reviewed academic journals, the Applied Psychology Around the World (APAW) publication, and 18 specialized divisions. Its primary deliverable is global community, professional development, and advocacy access for psychologists and affiliate national associations.

Product overview

The International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) operates as a professional membership organization rather than a software product company. Its core offerings consist of signature events (ICAP congresses held quadrennially), career development programs (Early Career Marathon and ARTS training seminars), publications (Applied Psychology Around the World magazine, academic journals, IAAP Bulletin archive), and member services through the Member Compass portal. IAAP also maintains 18 specialty divisions spanning diverse psychology domains, provides ethics resources and core competence frameworks, and produces policy briefings through its UN representation program. The organization uses Novi AMS association management software to power its website and member services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Applied Psychology Around the World (APAW): Official publication of IAAP sharing news and reports about applied psychology through theme-based articles
• ICAP
• ARTS
• ECM

Products and services

• International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP) The premier global conference in applied psychology, held every four years under IAAP auspices, bringing together psychologists worldwide for symposiums, oral presentations, and poster sessions to share research and advance the field. Targeted at applied psychologists, researchers, and students worldwide.
• Early Career Marathon (ECM) A 24-hour virtual event connecting early career psychologists globally through research presentations, networking, and professional development activities. Targets graduate students and early-career professionals, especially those served by Division 15.
• Advanced Research Training Seminar (ARTS) An intensive research training program that selects 24-30 graduate-level students to collaborate on six innovative research projects under expert leadership. Targets graduate students in applied psychology.
• Applied Psychology Around the World (APAW) IAAP's official online publication distributed three to four times yearly, featuring theme-based articles, research reports, and news about applied psychology worldwide. Builds on the legacy of the IAAP Bulletin with ISSN 26939-6521. Targets IAAP members and the broader applied psychology community.
• IAAP Journals (Applied Psychology: An International Journal & Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being) Two peer-reviewed academic journals published in partnership with Wiley, covering research in applied psychology and health and well-being domains. Targets academic researchers, practitioners, and libraries.
• Member Compass A digital portal for IAAP members providing access to profile management, event registration, invoice viewing and payment, transactional history, and membership status information. Serves all IAAP members globally.
• IAAP Webinars Online educational sessions covering various topics in applied psychology, available to members and the broader community. Targets applied psychologists, students, and practitioners.
• IAAP Divisions (18 Specialized Divisions) IAAP's organizational structure comprising 18 divisions covering specialized fields of applied psychology, including Work & Organizational, Psychological Assessment, Societal Development, Environmental Psychology, Education, Clinical & Community, Gerontology, Health, Economic, Psychology/Law/Ethics, Political, Sport, Traffic, Applied Cognitive, Students/Early Career, Counseling, Professional Practice, and History of Applied Psychology. Members can join up to 4 of the 18 divisions. Targets applied psychologists across all specializations.
• IAAP Briefings Reports and briefings prepared by IAAP UN representatives covering mental health policy, global health initiatives, and the intersection of psychology with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Targets policymakers, UN representatives, and applied psychology professionals.
• Core Competences in Professional Psychology A framework documenting core competencies for professional psychologists, supporting education and practice standards worldwide. Targets educators, professional psychology practitioners, and regulatory bodies.
• IAAP Ethics Resources Ethical guidelines and resources for applied psychologists, promoting responsible practice and conduct in the profession. Targets professional psychologists, ethics committees, and educators.
• Task Force on Terrorism and Peace Building An IAAP task force addressing the psychological dimensions of terrorism and peace building efforts globally. Targets researchers, policy makers, and applied psychologists working on conflict and peace.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP holds Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC, enabling participation in UN meetings, submission of statements, and contribution to international policy discussions. IAAP submits quadrennial reports to ECOSOC documenting its activities supporting UN development goals.
• United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP is affiliated with the UN Department of Global Communications, participating in DPI/NGO briefings, annual conferences, and information dissemination initiatives.
• World Health Organization (WHO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP collaborates with WHO on mental health initiatives, including participation in WHO QualityRights campaign and joint advocacy for mental health inclusion in SDGs.
• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP partners with UN Women on gender equality and women's empowerment initiatives, including events at the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP collaborates with UNICEF on psychosocial support programs, including training for child Ebola survivors in Sierra Leone and other child welfare initiatives.
• Sierra Leone Ministry of Social WelfarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP has an ongoing partnership with Sierra Leone's Ministry of Social Welfare for co-sponsoring UN events on disability rights and climate-mental health nexus, including the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Give Them a Hand FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP co-sponsors events with this NGO partner on disability rights and empowerment, particularly in collaboration with Sierra Leone's government.
• Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CoNGO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP representatives serve on CoNGO boards and committees, participating in governance of the NGO community accredited at the UN.
• Psychology Coalition at the United Nations (PCUN)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP co-founded PCUN, a collaborative effort among psychology NGOs accredited at the UN to advocate for psychology's role in UN initiatives and policies.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and CrimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP participates in Commission on Narcotic Drugs meetings and related activities through its Vienna-based representatives.
• Global Forum on Migration and DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP participates in Global Forum activities addressing migration and development from a psychological perspective.
• United Nations Office at GenevacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP has representatives in Geneva participating in UN briefings, meetings on trade, development, labour and health topics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• International Association for Applied Psychology: Listed as a self-reference; no separate entity. Omitted/placeholder to avoid duplication.

Emerging players

• European Association of Social Psychology (EASP): European-focused applied psychology association with journals and biennial conferences. Comparable in providing membership, divisions, and applied research dissemination, though geographically narrower than IAAP.
• International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP): International research-oriented applied psychology association. Comparable in serving a global applied psychology community through conferences and journals, but smaller and narrower in scope than IAAP.

Direct peers

• International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS): International federation of national psychology bodies that promotes psychological science globally. Closest international umbrella peer to IAAP, with overlapping UN/ICSU ties and overlapping congress programming.
• American Psychological Association: The largest professional association for psychologists in the United States (~146K members). Direct peer in serving applied psychology professionals through membership, journals, advocacy, and CE, though IAAP's international scope differentiates it.
• Association for Psychological Science (APS): International scientific society for psychology research and applied science. Comparable through membership model, journals (Psychological Science), and global convention programming; APS focuses more on scientific research than IAAP's applied practice orientation.
• Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP): Division 14-aligned applied psychology association for I/O psychologists. Comparable through specialized membership, an annual conference, and applied-practice focus, though narrower than IAAP's 18-division scope.
• British Psychological Society: UK-based chartered professional body for psychologists with global membership reach. Comparable to IAAP in providing membership tiers, publications, divisions, and advocacy, with a stronger national regulatory focus.

Broad incumbents

• World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH): Global mental health advocacy organization with UN ties. Comparable through international NGO status, awareness campaigns, and World Mental Health Day; WFMH is broader (mental health advocacy) where IAAP is narrower (applied psychology profession).

Regional players

• European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA): Federation of European national psychology associations. Comparable as a membership-driven professional body representing applied psychologists, but limited to Europe and structured as a federation of associations rather than individual members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iaapsy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iaapsy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Association of Applied Psychology